Week 49 at the Pole

Two winterovers at the South Pole practicing IV insertion in an urgent care room.
Kalvin Moschkau, IceCube/NSF

Winterovers at the South Pole are subjected to lots of training—some of it is in preparation before they reach the Pole but much of it is while they’re on site. It’s a small community that winters over at the South Pole, and they are essentially isolated from the rest of the world throughout the dark winter months, so they must be prepared to handle any urgent circumstances that could arise, from accidental injuries to fires or station-wide power failures. Last week, IceCube winterovers Kalvin and Connor practiced inserting IVs in their fellow coworkers as part of their ERT. Other activities during the week included maintenance at the IceCube Lab and science presentations for the station, and IceCube staff comings and goings.

A departing winterover in red parka out on the ice giving a thumbs up, plane parked in background.
Kalvin Moschkau, IceCube/NSF